A Pittsburg, California man pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit theft of government money and wire fraud, announced Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Brian J. Stretch for the Northern District of California.

According to documents filed with the court, while employed as a police officer, Gary Bostick, 39, participated in a conspiracy to cash stolen U.S. Treasury checks and file tax returns in the names of deceased individuals to obtain fraudulent refunds. Bostick filed some of the fraudulent returns from his residence and he and his co-conspirators directed the refund checks to addresses they could access. Bostick and his coconspirators, to include Hugh Robinson, also acquired stolen tax refund and social security checks, which they cashed at stores in various areas, including Kentucky. Bostick recruited and directed others who participated in the scheme. He admitted to causing a tax loss of more than $720,530.

Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 19. Bostick faces a statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison for the conspiracy count and 20 years in prison for the wire fraud count. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. Robinson was previously convicted at trial and sentenced to 144 months in prison for his role in the conspiracy.

Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Goldberg and U.S. Attorney Stretch thanked special agents of IRS Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas Newman and Jose A. Olivera, and Trial Attorney Gregory Bernstein of the Tax Division, who are prosecuting the case.

Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division’s website.